Quarterback Derek Anderson and running back Jamal Lewis of the Cleveland Browns are the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week for games played Sept. 16-17, the NFL announced today.
Cleveland's Anderson completed 20 of 30 passes for 328 yards and five touchdowns (averaging 9.9 yards/pass) in the Browns' 51-45 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Lewis carried the ball 28 times for 215 yards in the Browns' 51-45 victory over the Bengals. Lewis's 66-yard, third-quarter run resulted in a touchdown to put the Browns on top.
Anderson and Lewis were selected from among finalists in air and ground categories through 286,478 fan votes. The other FedEx Express NFL Player of the Week finalists were quarterbacks Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers and Carson Palmer of the Cincinnati Bengals, while running backs Frank Gore of the San Francisco 49ers and Willie Parker of the Pittsburgh Steelers were the other finalists for the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week.
Fans voted for more than their favorite players. The weekly FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week Awards are also a win for the local community. Along with the player awards, FedEx is awarding Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital, the children's hospital in both players' winning market, two checks for $5,000.
The children's hospitals in the two season-long winner's markets, announced at Super Bowl XLII in Arizona, will be awarded $25,000 each. That means FedEx will deliver nearly $250,000 to local children's hospitals around the country in recognition of the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week Award winners.
FedEx, the premier global provider of transportation, e-commerce and supply-chain management services, is the Official Delivery Service Sponsor of the NFL, Super Bowl and Pro Bowl. Through the weekly FedEx Air and Ground awards, FedEx recognizes those NFL players who represent the same speed, precision and teamwork that their customers have come to expect from the full range of FedEx air, ground, freight and international shipping services.
